With Arsenal closing in on the club-record £55.4million signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund, it looks increasingly likely that Olivier Giroud could conclude the January transfer window at rivals Chelsea.

It is well known that Antonio Conte is in the market for another striker this month, with the Blues linked with everyone from Edin Dzeko to Peter Crouch, Andy Carroll and Ashley Barnes.

The primary criteria appear to be that the striker is over 6ft tall, capable of heading the ball and willing to serve as back-up to Alvaro Morata.

The 31-year-old France international Giroud - who is 6ft 4in - ticks all of those boxes and the Stamford Bridge hierarchy spent the weekend discussing whether to match Arsenal's valuation of £35m before Wednesday night's deadline.

With Aubameyang coming in to join Alexandre Lacazette in Arsenal's attacking roster, chances for Giroud, already a bit-part player in the Premier League this season, will become even more limited.

There was talk of Giroud going to Borussia Dortmund as a makeweight in the Aubameyang deal but the Frenchman is eager to remain in London, where he has lived since the summer of 2012.Now reports in Germany suggest Dortmund have lined up Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi as Aubameyang's replacement, leaving a vacancy for Giroud at the Bridge.Although he would be crossing one of London's football rivalries, it does make sense on many levels for Chelsea to sign Giroud.

His goal returns for Arsenal have always been very good and he has a proven track record as a reliable scorer.

In his five full seasons at the Emirates Stadium, Giroud has returned 17, 22, 19, 24 and 16 goals in all competitions, helping them win the FA Cup on three occasions if not sustaining a Premier League title bid.

Even this season, Giroud has scored seven goals, including four in the Premier League at an average of one every 87 minutes.

It's not bad considering he has started just the one Premier League match, coming off the bench 14 times for usually around 20 minutes or so as he plays second fiddle to Lacazette and Arsenal's other attacking options.

He would surely have more goals but for the hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined since the 1-0 win over West Ham in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.

In addition to this reliable scoring record, Giroud's size and strength make him a genuine handful for defenders and that is precisely the physical edge Chelsea are looking for.

He can also capably hold the ball up and lay it off to team-mates inside or around the penalty box and Giroud would have no shortage of options given Chelsea's attacking players.

This combination of qualities seems to have been far more appreciated by the France coach Didier Deschamps than Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger in the recent past.

He starts more reliably for his national team - despite an embarrassment of riches - than for Arsenal and scored eight goals for them last year.

In all, Giroud has a decent return of 29 goals in 69 international appearances for France and looks certain to go to the World Cup this summer regardless of his club situation.

Indeed, there is an irony that Giroud usually starts ahead of his club-mate Lacazette for the national team, a role reversal of the situation at Arsenal.

Another factor in Giroud's favour in the closing days of the January market is that he remains eligible for the Chelsea Champions League squad having only featured in the Europa League with Arsenal this season.Giroud will be well aware that he won't be the first choice striker at Chelsea - they didn't pay an initial £58m for Alvaro Morata last summer for the Spaniard to sit on the bench.

But he would certainly be at best the third choice if he remains at Arsenal with Aubameyang coming in, plus he would have the possibility of playing in the Champions League this season and a better chance of being in it next season.

Chelsea, unlike Arsenal, also remain in the FA Cup, a competition he has excelled in and where he would have a decent chance of playing in between now and the end of the campaign.

Chelsea's first-choice target remains Roma's Edin Dzeko, but talks appear to have stalled over the weekend, so their net may have to be cast elsewhere.

Bringing in Giroud could be a decent compromise that suits all parties.

After the deal for Edin Dzeko collapsed, Chelsea acted quickly to find another striker. The Blues reached an agreement with Arsenal for Olivier Giroud on the basis of £15 million plus bonuses. The deal will be completed once Arsenal addresses the remaining details in the Aubameyang transfer, in fact Borussia Dortmund could replace the Gabonese striker with Batshuayi.

Arsene Wenger could be forced to let Olivier Giroud join Chelsea in order to sign Pierre-Emerick AubameyangSevilla and Dortmund are also interested in Giroud but a transfer merry-go-round could see Arsenal sell to the Blues

Arsene Wenger could be forced to let Olivier Giroud join Chelsea to make the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang deal happen.

Arsenal have agreed a £58m record deal with Borussia Dortmund to sign Aubameyang but the German club are adamant they will not let him go unless they get a replacement.

Chelsea are leading a THREE way chase for Giroud - alongside Sevilla and Dortmund - but Arsenal have been reluctant to do business with a top four rival.

However, Arsenal are stuck in a transfer merry-go-round as they look to get Aubameyang over the line with the Dortmund striker having already agreed personal terms on a £180,000-a-week contract at the Emirates.

That could yet force Arsenal to do a deal with Chelsea for Giroud with the Gunners demanding £35m for the France striker who yesterday trained with the first team and is expecting to be in the squad to face Swansea on Tuesday.

Dortmund have looked at Giroud as a replacement for Aubameyang but fear his family do not want to move to Germany and Mirror Sport understands he may yet decide to stay at Arsenal before deciding on his long term future in the summer.

Giroud is open to a move to Chelsea but fears Arsenal will block it, although the Aubameyang twist gives him fresh hope.

Dortmund’s other options are Chelsea’s out-of-favour striker Michy Batshuayi and also former Cologne forward Anthony Modeste who is now in China. It is believed Batshuayi has agreed terms with Dortmund.

But Chelsea will not allow Batshuayi to go unless they get a replacement and yesterday Roma pulled the plug on their £30m deal for Edin Dzeko. Chelsea boss Antonio Conte wants another striker to back up first choice Alvaro Morata.

It has set up a frantic last 48 hours of the transfer window with Arsenal still sweating on Aubameyang even though the player is desperate to move to the Emirates.

Aubameyang missed Monday's court hearing in Germany over the terror attack on the Dortmund team bus last April.

The Gabon striker insisted it was because he was ill but that is believed to have annoyed the club and his team mates and is being seen as another clear sign that he is off to Arsenal.